Rolf Devinci

My friend Jon recently returned from a European vacation with three bottles of Spanish rum in hand. I was anxious to give the spirit a try so pretty much invited myself over despite their probable jet lag. I was somewhat less enthused when I found out the one litre bottles were had, on sale, for the equivalent of $15(ish) CDN. I figured it was going to be harsh in mouth feel and finish best masked in lots of cola and ice. In a saloon style bottle the labeling was rather surprising to my North American sensibilities. Having done some googling I was happy to discover that the definition of negrita was an affectionate term of endearment for young women of color. From my understanding of the Spanish and French context it is a complimentary term with no racist intent which may explain why the distillery has not changed the labeling/ naming in 150 years of production. In the glass the rum presents as a dark amber or a light dark rum. Not much of a nose other than caramel which

Finally got around to picking up a bottle of this local rum marketed by the Authentic Seacoast Distilling Company Ltd based in Guysborough Nova Scotia. http://www.seafeverrum.com/ Packaged in a classic corked bottle it has minimal but attractive labeling with the stopper matching the steel blue color of the label. The clear glass bottle accentuates the straw color of the spirit. With a price point of $35 CDN it is competitive with other mid range rums at the NSLC and West Side Beer Wine and Spirits. " After oak maturing select Caribbean and Canadian rums....we blend them with fig, aromatic cinnamon, vanilla and a hint of citrus..." The nose of the rum is of sweetness with strong notes of butterscotch and candy. Believe it or not I sense an essence of bubblegum, the same as that moment you unwrap the gum from the packaging. Upon tasting it has a pleasant mouth feel with a long finish and a nice burn to remind one it is rum despite the candied overtones.